Which motorcycle?

[jred321]

I'm thinking it's time for me to buy a new motorcycle. I have been riding for almost 2 years now and my starter bike, a 1996 Suzuki Bandit 600, is starting to get a little boring (and needing to choke it to get it started is annoying). I like the "naked bike" look and have it narrowed down to 3 different bikes - the Ducati Streetfighter 848, the Triumph Speed Triple, and the Harley Sportster Nightster (I know, it's not as powerful or sporty, but I still like it). I've been thinking about used bikes and would consider a used Monster (S2R or S4R preferably) or Speed Triple as well but haven't really found many good examples locally. Thoughts?

848

Speed Triple

Nightster (would need black exhaust and different handlebars)

 

[genericuser]

my buddy joe just got a speed triple.. lets see if I can coax him over here to give his input.

 

[jred321]

I've heard and read many good things about the Speed Triple. The Ducati is very sexy though

 

[genericuser]

It is.. I may be hearing incorrect information, but I have heard Ducati's are like italian sportscars. They are great to drive the piss out of, but the maintenance can be beastly.

 

[Cheese302]

Hey man, i am friend Joe. I actually picked up a Street Triple R, i have to speak highly of triumph. the 848 is sweet, but i think you get a lot more bike for similar if not less money for the triple, plus the triples sound crazy.

i like the 48, similar to the nightster, but would rather have that be a second bike to my striple. All i can say is go ride them, pick the one you like best. there i a lot more support for things such as touring gear and what not for the triumph. but yes Duc's are hot.

 

[Mustard97]

ducati's are my dream bikes...

 

[jred321]

It is.. I may be hearing incorrect information, but I have heard Ducati's are like italian sportscars. They are great to drive the piss out of, but the maintenance can be beastly.

I've looked into it a little but they don't seem too much worse than other bikes. It's not a Honda where you can do nothing but change the oil for 20,000 miles but it doesn't seem too crazy

Hey man, i am friend Joe. I actually picked up a Street Triple R, i have to speak highly of triumph. the 848 is sweet, but i think you get a lot more bike for similar if not less money for the triple, plus the triples sound crazy.

i like the 48, similar to the nightster, but would rather have that be a second bike to my striple. All i can say is go ride them, pick the one you like best. there i a lot more support for things such as touring gear and what not for the triumph. but yes Duc's are hot.

Thanks I do like that the Speed Triple is similar in price to the 848 even though the engines are in a different class. The 1000cc version of the Streetfighter is another couple grand. The twin in the Duc sounds very nice as well

I like the 48 as well. The only thing I don't like is all of the ugly branding/text they put on the tank. And something else that I didn't mention is that I have family that owns a Harley dealer so I could get a good price on one. I like the V-Rod as well but I have heard that they kind of fold you up into a clamshell shape if you're not a tall rider because the handlebars are far forward and so are the foot pegs.

 

[Jackie chan]

Given the choice, i'd go for the 848. But would prefer some japanese reliability and maintenance costs over a ducati. (gsx-r)

 

[jred321]

Bikes with full fairings are not my style. The Japanese don't make good naked bikes. The CB1000, Z1000, and FZ1 are all ok but I don't find them particularly desirable.

 

[Robert Henry]

Ducati is my favorite bike... I love Ducati.....

 

[serum]

I actually don't really know about those bikes that you want, but I owned a 07 Honda CBR600RR and a 07 Suzuki Gixxer and my favorite was the Honda. It was overall the best performing bike for me and handled so well for canyon riding.

 

[jred321]

I actually think I'm going to check this bike out this weekend http://hartford.craigslist.org/mcy/2891274201.html Very similar in many ways (including power), a little old but seems in good condition based on emails I exchanged with the owner, but $10k less and cheaper to insure.

 

[Cleverfrog]

ninja 600/650

 

[jred321]

Why would I want a bike that is at best as fast as the bike I own now but imho uglier because of all of the plastic on it?

 

[Rogue]

Of the 3, i think the Ducati is the best looking bike...only because Triumph changed the headlights on their Triple. I prefer the round headlights.

 

[dominoy2k1]

the speed triple is nice. i however love my sportster.

 

[Cheese302]

Ducs sound nice, and actually the maintenance isnt that bad. luckily there arent nearly as many electrical gizmos and you can change the timing belts yourself. Triumph however is iso9001 quality certified and if you look at their electrical systems, its nearly identical to suzuki. if you'd like, its a payed site, but hellforleathermagazine.com just did an awesome review of the 848. if i bought a duc though, it's be a diavel.

 

[jred321]

I ended up getting an 03 Honda Superhawk last weekend. Went with used again instead of new. It's similar to the bikes I was thinking about but has a half fairing. It has slip ons, jetted carb, and air filter and came with a dyno sheet for 107whp which isn't too shabby. It's pretty different than my old Bandit which I think has to do with the V-twin configuration vs the inline 4. The weight feels much more centered and easier to transition. The power profile is also pretty different, with the Superhawk having much more linear power and the Bandit feeling more like a turbo car with nothing down low then pulling hard up top.

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